LibGuides: LGBTQ: Films

Finding Films

Both streaming films and physical media like DVDs can be found by going through the HACC catalog. For specifically streaming video, the preferred streaming service can be checked for materials relevant to your topic. The following search terms are recommended to use while searching for LGBT films.

LGBT or LGBTQ
Queer
Gay or Homosexual
Lesbian
Bisexual
Transgender

Use the search box below to search the catalog. The search can be narrowed down to Audio Visual material which will enable you to just find resources that include things like sound recordings and videos.

When searching for streaming video resources, the below databases are recommended.

Films on Demand

Curriculum-focused, streaming video titles from producers such as Films for the Humanities and Sciences, A&E, History, ABCNews, BBC, NBC News, Biography, National Geographic and others.
Films On Demand Tutorial
Kanopy

On-demand streaming of classic cinema, indie films, and top documentaries. Films remain available for 72 hours. Students and staff are required to create a Kanopy user account in order to access this database.
Kanopy Streaming Video Tutorial

The films shown below are just a small selection of the films available in our collection

Marsha P. Johnson: Transgender Activist
The story of Transgender Activist, Marsh P. Johnson, who dedicated her life to LGBTQ+ rights.
Bayard Rustin
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the biggest protest America had ever seen. It culminated in Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech. But the man who made it all possible, chief organiser Bayard Rustin, was almost written out of history not because he was black, but because he was gay.
How Gay Is Pakistan?
Being gay is illegal in Pakistan. But, despite this, the country has a growing gay scene. So why are gay rights not being addressed here? This is a complicated place, where homosocial behavior, like men holding hands, is common and accepted. In this revealing journey to the country of his birth, presenter Mawaan Riswan talks to the people struggling to assert their sexuality against a complex backdrop. From the activists campaigning for gay rights despite the threat of violence, to the transgender sex worker considering surgery, and the men who identify as straight but enjoy gay sex, Mawaan discovers a fascinating world hidden from public view.
Faith and Gay Fear
In 2014, Cold Fear: Gay Life in Russia revealed shocking footage of a man hunted, trapped, then beaten and humiliated by a group of 30 anti-gay activists in Russia. It was just the tip of an iceberg. Across the world, there is a growing movement to halt the advance of gay rights by direct persecution and support for anti-homosexual laws. The movement has created some unlikely international allies. Now, the team behind Cold Fear – Gay Life in Russia investigates the groups and individuals coordinating the campaign. The investigation team crosses continents as it tracks the money, political campaigns and secret meetings to piece together the network. From the antigay agenda spreading across Europe from Russia to the extreme homophobia in Africa sponsored by western evangelists and right-wing Christians – this film reveals that far from the hatred originating from rogue extremists, it is an organised movement with a shared source of funding. The trail ends in the United States.

The films shown below are just a small selection of the films available in our collection.

My Transgender Life
A moving documentary on what it's like to be transgender, to grow up in the wrong gender and eventually transition to a different sex. A documentary designed to record, share and celebrate the personal stories of transgender women and men and their stories of struggle, of courage and of triumph. Though they vary in age, ethnicity and socioeconomic backgrounds, each person has fought to cast off the gender assigned to them at birth and embrace their true selves. The decision to transition from one gender to another is a life changing one not just for the transgender person but for their family and friends. Male or female, boy or girl? Most of us can answer that question without a second thought, but for some people, the answer isn't so simple. Encouraging classroom discussion, this program helps students to think of the differences in each of us in a positive way, breaking stereotypes, acceptance, challenging prejudice and increasing visibility for the transgender community.
Pink Boy
"Pink boys" have their own challenges: they do not neatly fit into a single gender box, and instead create a space between genders, which this film explores. They like to dress in girl's clothing and play with girl toys, but still identify as boys. These children often face widespread ignorance and shaming, sometimes from their own families. They often live with daily threats of bullying and violence and are at high risk for depression and suicide as they reach their teens.
It's Still Elementary
It's STILL Elementary examines the incredible impact of the groundbreaking original documentary, It's Elementary - Talking About Gay Issues in School. It's a great case study of how documentary filmmaking coupled with a robust grassroots campaign, can literally change the world. IT'S STILL ELEMENTARY follows up with teachers and students featured in the first film to see how having teachers in elementary and middle school who taught them about LGBT people affected their lives. It's STILL Elementary also documents the story behind the controversial PBS broadcast of It's Elementary and the infamous right-wing attacks on the film and its creators. It's STILL Elementary is a call to action for parents and educators to continue working for safe, inclusive schools.
Homo Promo
This spectacular showcase of vintage movie trailers offers a crash course in lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) movie history and a colorful look at nearly every major mainstream queer-themed film produced between 1953 and 1977! Archivist Jenni Olson is one of the world's leading experts on LGBT film history -- curated from her private collection of rare original 35mm coming attractions trailers, Homo Promo has entertained audiences at LGBT film festivals around the world offering a campy cavalcade of coming attractions.

Film Festivals

Throughout the world, there are many film festivals focused specifically on LGBT films. Listed here is a small selection of the ones that exist.

Outfest Los Angeles
Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the leading organization that promotes LGBTQ equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Celebrating the best in independent queer cinema, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is Vancouver's second largest film festival and the largest queer arts event in Western Canada.

LGBTQ

Finding Films

Films On Demand Tutorial

Kanopy Streaming Video Tutorial

Streaming Videos

Film Festivals